In June 2018 I set up the UK’s first dedicated data breach compensation practice.The firm grew from a pre-revenue start-up to delivering fee income of £2 million within the first three years of operation.Key highlights• Proving the concept and settling the first claim• Growing the team from 3 to 23 people• Securing a debt funding facility less than 12 months after trading commenced• The sale of part of our business to a US law firm• Working with our marketing agency to develop the SEO and PPC campaigns• Collaborating with competitors to build client numbers on a large-scale group action and delivering a workable insurance solution with our ATE provider• Acquisition of several data breach caseloads

I was recruited to lead a private equity backed roll out of Forster Dean across the country but the role turned out to be a very different one.Over my 11 years as CFO of Forster Dean I successfully guided the business through a period of transformation and a series of government reforms.As one of the three members of a Leadership Team running a 100 person law firm the role extended way beyond finance and covered every aspects of the Business including Operations, all Commercial relations, Marketing, HR, Property Management and Compliance. Key achievements• Refinancing the business whilst in Global Restructuring Group (GRG) to ensure its survival• Transitioning the firm out of GRG and back into mainstream banking• Transforming the operational model and the cost base of the business by reducing the number of operating sites from 30 to 3• Creating new business units to replace client numbers lost in the closure programme• Acquisition of several Personal Injury caseloads• Sale of the Medical Negligence business• Resolution of a major contractual dispute which facilitated the draw down on a CBILS loan in the early days of the pandemic• Establishing Forster Dean as a key member of the Recovery First panel which has resulted in Forster Dean acquiring Personal Injury files from over 20 other law firms

The Pudding Club was a maternity wear retailer with stores in Knutsford, Liverpool and online.I was a sounding board throughout the lifecycle of the business, from opening the first store in Knutsford, expanding into Liverpool with the second store and the ongoing development of website until we took the decision was taken to close the business in October 2015.

I joined The Steve Stuart Partnership LLP in May 2003 and worked upon a wide range of transactions, including:• MBI of a sportwear retailer• Trade acquisition of a plastic packaging manufacturer funded by a full suite of ABL facilities • MBO of a specialist support services business• Trade sale of a manufacturer and supplier of rare earth metals & alloys• MBO of a law firm (Forster Dean)• Sale of a scaffolding business to an MBI team• MBO of an injection moulding manufacturer• Strategic review of pet food manufacturerI was made up to Partner when we merged the business into the corporate finance advisory team of Brabners in Liverpool.In December 2011 I joined Forster Dean, a former client, as CFO.

I qualified as a Chartered Accountant in the Corporate Tax team at PwC in Manchester.I was a member of the Dispute Resolution team where a particular highlight was the resolution of a longstanding UK/US transfer pricing dispute with HMRC.I then joined the International Structuring team where I worked on a number of complex cross border projects involving colleagues from the UK and overseas offices.